


The Growth of Hemlock

by TheQueenyGospels



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Jason centered, Jason hated the joker, M/M, Who's letting these kids run loose?, dick's not in this sorry :(, for good reasons I swear, jason does some murder, jason loves both his mums, jason todd as hemlock, lots of jaytim flirting, most jason and ivy developing together, set before 'stray robin in the hemlock', tim drake as Stray, tim is in three chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-27 19:55:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13255494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenyGospels/pseuds/TheQueenyGospels
Summary: In a universe where Jason never becomes Robin but instead joins Poison Ivy and becomes Hemlock.This is part of my 'Stray Robin in the Hemlock' series.





	1. Keep you warm

**Author's Note:**

> This was going to be posted in late January but I spewed out three chapters in one day (can you tell? :P) so I'm posting the first one early.

“You were pretty good kid, if you want, I think I wouldn’t mind keeping your help.”

“You mean…”

“I’m going to a forest in India to help the trees heal and grow after deforestation, you might be able to help me.” Ivy chose not to mention that she felt for pity for the lonely city child, she wasn’t lying when she said he was helpful but she also hadn’t missed the bruises that blossomed across his skin or his healing black eye.

Jason didn’t need to think about the offer long, he had nothing left for him in Gotham, no one to miss him, no one that would look for him; he agree and left Gotham with Ivy at his side.

* * *

Poison Ivy, Jason realised very quickly, was a badass; she knew what she stood for and stuck to it, unlike Batman, who no one really knew anything about, Ivy never kept anything from Jason, she told him where she was going when she wasn’t with him, told him plans she had to save the planet. Sometimes Jason wandered if she was just using him as someone to talk to, her hidden cabin in the Middle East had no signs of anyone else when she took him to it, but he noticed he didn’t mind, no one had treated him like a real person since his mum had died.

In the days between ‘missions’ Jason and Ivy got to know each other, Ivy talked about her past, before anyone viewed her as a villain, as Pamela Isley, she talked about her studies and all the places she’d visited, Jason listened with vigour, imaging all the beautiful places Ivy described. When his time came to share, Jason almost didn’t, he wasn't prepared to tell her that he never mattered and his past wasn’t important, but Ivy smiled at Jason, warm and interested, and he smiled back. Jason talked about his mum and how amazing she had been and how she always did her best, he talked about the dog he’d had when he was younger and the rare times his dad would visit. Jason talked about his mum’s death in a hushed tone, with tears in his eyes and anger in his tone.

Ivy never brought up Jason’s mum or past after that, and Jason was thankful.

* * *

After Jason watched freshly cut stumps, with machine oil still thick in the air, rise up until the tree branches looked like they could touch the sun, Ivy took him to New Zealand to spread an abundance of some endangered plant.

Jason shivered as his arms tightened around the bag of roots Ivy had entrusted him with. It had begun to snow and was getting heavier, but Ivy didn’t even seem bothered by the dipping climate, in her simple tights and hooded jacket, Jason, on the other hand, could no longer feel his fingers.

“I-Ivy, are we n-nearly done?” He asked as he stepped closer to her so she could reach into the bag for a bundle of roots. Ivy’s piercing eyes looked at him, studying the way he was holding himself, tall and strong but slightly shaking, then moved to bury the roots in one of the many holes they hand dug up around the forest floor.

“This will likely take another hour, are you too cold to continue?”

“Psh, no.” His numb toes would say otherwise. Ivy raised an eyebrow at him. “I was just wandering, that’s all.” She smiled.

“Jason, why are you still doing this?”

“What do you mean?” They shuffled to the next hole.

“I assumed you agreed to come with me because you enjoyed the excitement of breaking the law, and yes, you are very helpful, but this, I assume, isn’t stimulating for you.” Jason thought about it for a long moment, she was right, he had had lots of fun when they broke into the greenhouse and set a building on fire, and yeah, plants are cool but not _that_ cool, so why was he sticking around?

“It was pretty cool when you scared all the guys in the forest, one of them jumped into a river just to get away from you.” Ivy laughed lightly. “But, um, I don’t know, I like you, you’re cool… Back in Gotham everyone talked about Batman like he was the shit, but what you do is so much better, you’re making a real difference.” Jason let out a frosted breath and watched it disappear into the wind. Fuck, it’s so cold. “And… You treat me like I’m a real person, like you actually want me around, I don’t even think any of the foster parents I had did.” Ivy nodded slowly, as though more of her focus was on the planting than Jason, maybe it was and she just kept him out of pity. Maybe she _wanted_ him to leave, maybe-

Jason froze in place when Ivy’s arms were suddenly around his shoulders, she pulled him tightly against her, causing Jason to revel in the almost overwhelming amount of heat she let off. It took a few seconds for Jason to remember how you’re meant to respond to hugs, he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face into her jacket. They stayed like that for several long minutes until Ivy pulled away.

“There, feeling warmer?” Jason blinked at her before he realised his eyes had begun to tear up.

“I, uh,” He wiped his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”

“Anytime.” Ivy smiled at him for a millisecond before she went back to her work.

They continued in silence, after forty minutes Jason’s finger began to tingle again but he didn’t complain. Once every hole had been filled and the bag was empty Ivy and Jason wandered to the nearest town, where Ivy bought Jason dinner and the two sat in comfortable silence in a diner.

While Jason focused his attention on his food Ivy watched him with tentative eyes. She didn’t know what made him different from every other street kid she’d come in contact with but he just was, maybe it was because he held himself differently, like an adult with several years of experience on their belt, or the way he didn’t treat her like ‘Poison Ivy, the villain vigilante’ but instead like a person. Whatever it was that made Jason more important than the others, Ivy found herself glad to have his company and hoped he’d stick around.


	2. The Son of Catwoman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason meets a cute boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School will be the death of me, I swear.

Jason was always secretly proud that, despite his age, Ivy let him go on missions by himself. Most of them were just recon, Ivy would usually just spend him to sanctuaries or groves to collect information about certain plants that might be where they’re not supposed to be, and she always sent him to places he would be more safe, usually keeping him in America. One time he went to Australia… It was not fun.

And that’s how he found himself back in Gotham, while Ivy worked on some crazy experiment in Bora Bora. Jason would be lying if he said he wasn’t jealous. Gotham had a special kind of beauty to her, the kind that was invisible to anyone that was used to seeing the sun on a daily basis, it was the kind of city you drove through, admiring the towering skyscraper and intricate structures but never staying a whole day.

In winter everything seemed so much darker, the sky was filled with rain-heavy clouds, threatening to pour at any given moment, and, with the sun having set hours ago, the down town streets were nearly pitch black. Jason worked with the heavy shadows and his old habits, moving silently and unnoticed through the streets, so much so that when Batman and his little sidekick leapt across the buildings above him they had no knowledge of the pre-teen below them.

The mission had been a total bust, the same green house from the night he met Ivy was claiming to have some super rare, exotic plant, but it ended up just being a lookalike. Jason made sure they knew that with a nice coat of red spray paint across the display. So Jason was heading to the motel he was staying at, keen to spend the rest of the night watching TV and eating junk food away from Ivy’s disapproving eyes.

That was until his radio picked up a silent call for back up.

* * *

_“If I’m ever not around and you need help getting out of some trouble just call for back up on this.” Jason stared at the tiny, walkie-talkie-like device that Ivy had just dropped into his hands. It was half the size of his palm with a small speaker and screen, and three buttons on it. The buttons read **talk, silent, alarm**._

_“What’ll it do?”_

_“A lot of my connections have them: Harley, Croc, Cat, others. ‘Talk’ will let you speak to them, ‘silent’ will tell them you need help and show them where you are, and alarm will make yours beep loudly so you can be found.”_

_“Wow, smart.”_

_“I know.” Ivy grinned proudly as she ruffled Jason’s hair._

_“So, when am I gonna meet Harley.”_

_“One day, kiddo.”_

* * *

Jason stared at the blinking dot on the tiny screen for a moment before he turned and began bolting towards the dot’s location. He got to the roof tops to cover the distance faster, thankful that the bat and the bird had moved up town an hour ago, and leapt across the rooves with practiced vigour. Within minutes he made to the warehouse that the dot was sitting on top of. Jason quietly snuck in through a hole in the roof and searched for the other radio’s owner.

“What’s that!?” The gruff voice drew Jason to the centre of the warehouse. “You little shit!” The sound of a fist hitting cheek sounded through the room as Jason moved to a dark space in the rafters, where he could finally see what was going on. “What’d you do!?”

Tied to a chair in the centre of the room was a young girl, maybe two or three years younger than Jason, dressed in a tight, leather suit, with a dark domino mask covering her identity. In front of her stood a tall, beefy man, with a radio identical to Jason’s shattered on the floor between them. The girl stared up at the man defiantly, blood dripping from her lips and a dark bruise on her left cheek. Four other men stood around the room, each one with a hand gun. Jason cringed when the man slammed his fist into the girl’s stomach, but she held in her grunt of pain then spat blood onto the man’s shirt.

“That’s it.” The man pulled out a gun and aimed it at the girl’s head, taking that as his queue, Jason jumped from the rafters and landed just behind the man.

“Gentlemen, can’t we solve this peacefully?” Gunfire went off before Jason could say another word. What happened to the fun banter they were supposed to have before he beat the shit out of them? Honestly, criminals had no class anymore. He jumped and ducked, dodging the spray of bullets aimed his way. He grinned as he knocked two of the guys out easily before barely dodging a knife unsheathed by the third guy, using his charging momentum, Jason threw the third into the four, causing the knife to hit him instead. He knocked their head together, instantly knocking them out as well.

“Who the fuck are you?!” The man demanded, turning the gun to Jason, only to having it snapped out of his hand and have a foot collide solidly against his face. The man stumbled back until the uneven floor caught his and his head his the floor, rendering him unconscious. Jason panted heavily, still not use to fighting a group of armed grownups, but Ivy’s training was helping. Once he regained his breath back he looked to the girl.

_Who wasn’t a girl._

“You’re a dude?” He asked before he could stop himself. The boy raised an eyebrow at him and sneered.

“Yeah, what’s your point?” The boy released his hand from the rope effortlessly and began working on the ones around his chest. Jason moved to the ones around his ankles.

“I just thought, you know, with the skin tight leather and your long hair.” The boy rolled his eyes.

“It’s a family thing.” Jason laughed.                            

“What family, Catwoman’s?” The boy only grinned. “What?” His grin grew as the realisation hit Jason. “Holy shit, you’re Catwoman’s kid!? No way.”

“Yes way.”

“Dude, you mum is _hot_.” Jason understandably earned a punch to the shoulder. “I didn’t know Cat had a son?”

“Adopted. I’m Stray.” The boy- Stray- held out his hand for Jason to shake, he looked at him for a long moment before shaking it.

“I’m… Peter?”

“You seem unsure.”

“No, I don’t.” Stray raised his eyebrow again with a laugh, but his expression suddenly tightened as he wrapped his arms around himself and groaned. “Whoa! Are you okay?” Jason caught Stray when the younger boy’s legs suddenly gave way.

“Ugh. Do you have your radio?”

“Yeah, here.” Stray held to radio tighten as he pressed the **talk** button.

“Mama?” The radio fizzed for a single second before Catwoman responded frantically.

“Stray! Kitten, where are you, I can’t get your location?”

“The warehouse on 6th.”

“I’m on my way now, are you okay?” Jason felt a weird comfort in knowing that the kid in his arms had someone to worry about him.

“Yeah, I’m a little bruise but, um, I got some help.”

“From Robin?”

“No, I’ll explain when you get here.”

“I’m almost there.”

The radio fizzed again and Stray handed it back to Jason. Jason took it then looked back at Stray.

“Aren’t you a little young to be doing stuff like this.”

“No.”

“Fair enough.”

“Who are you with?”

“What do you mean?”

“Someone obviously taught you how to fight and you’re wearing a domino, but you’ve got a Gotham accent.” Jason didn’t realised his accent was that recognisable, he hadn’t been in Gotham in a year and in that time he assumed it had become less obvious. He wandered if he should tell Stray that he was with Ivy or not, but given that he was Catwoman’s son Ivy probably wouldn’t mind.

“Poison Ivy.”

“Neat! Do you have powers like her? That’d be cool.”

“Nah, no powers.”

“Lame.” Jason frowned, about to defend that he was so awesome he didn’t need powers but was interrupted by an anticipated voice.

“Stray!” Ah, the voice of a worry-ridden mother… She sounded kind of like Ivy when Jason was extra reckless.

“Well, I gotta go.” Jason pulled Stray into a standing position.

“What? Why?”

“You should know: where the cat goes, the bat follows.” Jason grinned as he squeezed Stray’s shoulder gently. “But, hey, the leather looks good.” Jason winked before he disappeared into the warehouse’s shadows, so skilfully it reminded Tim of Batman himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and better than ever (Lies, I'm always tired)  
> Comments and kudos, love y'all!!


	3. Sick of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason gets sick, and Ivy considers some things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm not dead!

Jason always thought he was good at hiding things; he hid from his mum that he was working on the streets in an attempt to keep their apartment, and he hid most of his bruises from Ivy, not wanting her to hover even more than she already does. And he thought that he'd managed to hide this just as well.

Jason was well into his second year by Ivy's side when his cough started. That's all it was, a cough. He cleared his throat as he wandered around the house, muffling the tightness in his throat, but when they went out, he coughed and coughed and coughed once he and Ivy were separate. He reassured himself that it wasn't a problem, he probably had a bug or a cold, it would eventually wear itself out, but it was when he suddenly started to cough up blood that he started to worry.

He pushed away the fear that crawled slowly up his spine with every splutter and cough, he hid his bloody tissues in a bin under his bed and carried a handkerchief with him just encase, and smiled at Ivy despite the pain in his chest and lungs.

* * *

“Ivy, I swear I’m fine.” Jason pushed pass Ivy to get the kitchen, he ignored the way she stood with her hands on her hips as he poured himself a glass of water. When he looked at her she was still glaring at him. “What?” Ivy glowered then held up the handkerchief that had been folded in her clenched hand.

“This,” She waved it in front of him for emphasis, “Is not fine.” Jason tensed when he realised it was the one had been periodically washing and hiding from Ivy for the past month. The piece of cloth was stained with blood, some patches darker with age. Jason shrugged like it was no big deal.

“I was just a little sick, it’s nothing.” Jason tried to sidestep Ivy but she moved with him and glared harder. Jason hated it, one day he’d be taller than her but, for now, he was still a kid and she was still an immovable force compared to Jason’s measly height of a nine-year-old.

“Jason-”

“Jesus, it’s fine, Ivy!” Jason stomped pass Ivy, shoving her shoulder with his. Before Jason could close his bedroom door Ivy finally spoke again.

“Pack.”

“What?” Ivy turned to him slowly, expressions tight and unr.le

“Pack.” She repeated. “Pack your things.”

“What?” Jason felt his stomach drop, a cold, heavy weight in the pit of his gut. She was getting rid of him, she didn’t want him anymore, this was it.

“You can’t stay here, not if I’m making you sick.”

“It could be anything, a bug, some random disease, I smoke, it could be fucking lung cancer.” Jason stepped back out of his room. “I’m fine.” Jason forced himself not to move away when Ivy advanced until she was right in front of him, she pulled his hand up from his side and pressed the cloth into it before closing his fingers around it.

“Pack.” Jason said nothing, but when he lifted his eyes to glare at her, Ivy saw the thin sheet of tears that formed over them. He pulled his hand free from hers and turned away, slamming the door shut firmly behind him.

* * *

New York. Jason felt sick, and not just because his body couldn’t handle the toxins Ivy’s powers let off. He hadn’t realised just how much he had started hating largely populated cities since he’d started living with Ivy until they pulled up in front of an apartment building in a definitely stolen car. Jason looked at the building with disgust, then turned to Ivy with the same expression.

“I called in a favour,” She started. “It’s a nice place and there’s money inside.” Ivy held out a key but Jason didn’t take it. “Jay, it’s just until you get better, I promise.”

“What if I don’t have to get better?”

“You will.”

“Make me like you.”

“What?” Ivy’s tone dropped, like Jason had just insult her and had been proud of it.

“I mean it, make me like you, with the powers and stuff.” He gestured at the leaves peeking out from her jacket.

“Jason-”

“I wouldn’t get sick, I’d be able to help more, I-”

“Jason, stop.” His mouth snapped shut instantly. “Just, I can’t, I- this- me, it was an accident, I didn’t turn myself into Ivy… This is only for a little while, Jay.”

Jason’s movement was so sudden Ivy didn’t noticed until he’d pulled her towards him and wrapped his arm her with his face buried into her shoulder. Ivy followed suit and pulled him even closer. Hugging wasn’t a common occurrence, making every one mean a lot more than just a hug, they’d become promises, but sometimes they still needed verbal confirmations.

“Promise. Promise you’ll come back and get me.” Jason mumbled quietly against Ivy’s shoulder, she noted that he sounded younger than he had in a while.

“I promise. Jay,” Ivy pulled Jason from her shoulder and nestled his face in her hands. “I promise.” She pressed their foreheads together instead of kissing his like she wanted to, and for a brief moment thought about his request. “Be safe.” She pressed the key into his hand.

“Who are you talking to?” They smiled before Jason climbed out of the car and walked up the stairs to the front door. One last time, Jason looked back at Ivy, who was still looking at him, he gave another smile and mock saluted, she did the same then revved the engine and pulled away from the curb. Jason watched her go with a sigh.

* * *

"Red, it's been a month, would ya quit mopin' around?" Harley said as she plotted back into her spot before Ivy. They were sitting on the couch in Ivy's home, a movie on mute playing in front of them. Harley was happily munching on popcorn while Ivy stared unblinking at the screen.

"I'm not moping, I'm just... Thinking." She had left Jason a phone in the apartment and he’d only texted her four times.

_‘Theres a bakery down the street im quitting the crime life and becoming a professional cinnamon roll eater’_

_‘A fckn tap dancer is living above me’_

_‘im bored’_

_‘someone just asked me if I was 6 wtf’_

Each time they’d chatted a bit but aside from that Jason had been nearly silent, it gnawed at Ivy, making her feel worse and worse every moment for leaving Jason all alone. He was only nine for god’s sake.

“Uh huh, sure.” Harley elbowed Ivy hard in the ribs. “He’s fine, Vee, didn’t you ask Kitty to check in on him?”

“Yeah, she said he’s doing well, not eating just crap, and no one’s giving him trouble.” Selina and Ivy had started talking more since the protégées had met, and both had returned home with excitement over a new vigilante.

“Then why are ya stressin’?” Harley asked around a mouthful of popcorn, some of it even falling into her lap.

“I’m so worried about him, Harley, he was alone for so long, and now the only person he has has just abandoned him.”

“Ya didn’t abandon ‘im, you’re protectin’ him, and once he gets betta ya can give him the same thing ya gave me.” Harley pulled Ivy into a tight hug, wrapping her arms and legs around the redhead, she pressed light and playful kisses across Ivy’s face until the other girl laughed and returned the hug. “You’re doing good, Pam.”

“God, I hope you’re right.”

* * *

Jason heard the car before he saw it, Ivy whizzed around the corner seconds later and pulled up in front of Jason.

“Hey.” She smiled as she pushed the door open. Jason shoved his bag through the back window then climbed into the front.

“Hey. New car?” Ivy grinned and ruffled his hair, answering the question without words. “Whatcha been up to?” They pulled away from the curb.

“You know, set some things on fire, stole some other things.” Jason gasped and held a hand to his chest.

“Without me?” They laughed. Jason couldn’t stop smiling, he’d missed Ivy so much in the last two months and a half months, it had been driving him slowly mad. Everyone in this overpopulated city were idiots, boring idiots at that.

“I made this for you.” Ivy pulled out a vile of pink liquid, Jason took it and studied it between his fingers. “It’ll make you immune to the toxins so that this doesn’t happen again.” _Enough said_ , Jason thought before he opened the vile and downed the liquid, it burned down his throat worse than anything he’d ever drank before. He coughed slightly.

“Wow.” Jason wheezed before he coughed again, Ivy patted his back with another laugh. “Did it work?”

“Come here.” Jason leaned closer before Ivy pulled him in by the back of his neck and pressed a kiss to his forehead. They both waited a minute, then two, then five, and when Jason didn’t start to show signs of poisoning they both relaxed. “I guess it worked.” They laughed as they drove out of the city.

Jason’s suggestion still sat heavy in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who's still interested, I didn't mean for the hold to be on so long, I've been really busy with personal things but finally found the time to start writing again.  
> Ps. Jason is a baby and I love my son


	4. Til Next Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Tim and Jason bonding, y'all. Part 1/2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead, I'm just unreliable.

_Gotham City_

It took months for Jason to convince Ivy to allow him back into the field, convincing which included physical, mental and vital checks, scanning to check for any potential side effects to the cure, and listing fifty different types of roses. Jason was pretty sure the last one was just to make sure he listened to Ivy when she spoke. When no issues showed Jason was running out the door and into action in seconds.

“Woo!” Jason cried in excitement as he leapt across the buildings of Gotham. With Batman out of town, and only bird-butt and princess-bat there to pick up the slack, Jason could easily get around the city without them seeing him or him seeing them. Except the same applied for another rogue protégé.

Stray watched curiously as Ivy’s kid jumped across the roofs of Gotham, flipping and throwing himself over edges only to shoot a grapple at the last minute. Stray had been observing him for the last two hours and the older boy hadn’t done anything but zigzag through the city; no stopping crime, no starting crime, just seemingly working off an abundance of pent up energy. 

“Mum, he’s so boring.” Tim said through his and Selena’s comms. He munched on the dinner he’d picked up half an hour ago, it was cold from being neglected.

“Kitten, no one is forcing you to stalk your crush.” Tim choked.

“He’s not my crush! Besides-”  Tim cut himself off before Selena could trick him into sharing.

“Baby, you’re allowed to have two crushes, Robin won’t mind.”

“Oh my god, Mum!” Selena laughed, quiet and muffled to not alert the guards around her to her presence in the bank.

“Kitten, just go say I to him. Oh, and this weekend we should go out for dinner, something fancy.” Tim rolled his eyes at Selena’s playful tone.

“Mum, Batman’s going to take those diamonds from you the moment he gets back.”

“Avoid Wayne tower when he gets back.” Tim blinked to himself for a moment while he mulled over the comment. then it hit him.

“Ew.” He blanched.

“Call you later, go get the cutie.” Selena made kissing noises as alarms started sound in the background.

“Bye, Mum.” When the comms went dead Tim looked back to the spot Ivy’s kids had been taking a breather, only to realise that he wasn’t there anymore. Tim looked around, searching, he checked the neighbouring rooftops, and even glance over a few windows but there was no sign of him. “Where did you go?”

“ _Right here._ ” Tim instantly flinched, he spun around, pulling a fist with him that narrowly avoided the other boy’s face. “Whoa, Kitty,” The boy- Peter?- chuckled, it was warm and free, causing an annoying feeling to form in Tim’s stomach. “Didn’t mean to frighten you.” His hands raised in a weak defense.

“No, you just crept up on me and whispered in my ear to be casual.”

“Touchy.” Peter laughed again before he perched himself on the edge of the building, putting a good distance between himself and Stray. “How long’s it been, Kitty, a year?”

“Year and a half, I think.” A year and five months to be more accurate.

“So, there a reason you’ve been watching me for the last hour?”  _ Two and a half hours _ , Tim mentally corrected. “Or is stalking a hobby of yours?” This time it was Tim’s turn to laugh.

“It is actually a hobby of mine.” Jason raised an eyebrow. As if to show Tim he didn’t believe him “I’m being serious, I started following Batman around when I was four.” Jason briefly thought about what he was doing when he was four, memories of hiding under a dining room table and blocking his ears as he cried flashed across his mind, he immediately pushed down the dark feeling that pooled in his chest. The strained look in his eyes did not go amiss by Tim.

“Like mother like son, I guess.” Jason grinned. “Though I bet you’re more interested in the bird than the bat." Tim rolled his eyes and glared to hide the blush on his cheeks.

“Like mother like son? I don’t see any leaves on you.” Tim gestured to Jason, who was dressed in a unitard that he disguised with a shirt and jacket over the top. No one in their line of work could completely evade the need for flexible, skin tight clothing.

“Green’s not really my colour.”

“Still no powers?”

“Nah.”

“Lame.” Jason made an offended face, causing Tim to giggle, _actually giggle_. Jason turned his face towards the city so Tim couldn’t see the faint redness the dusted his cheeks. “Anyway, I-” Tim was cut off by the sudden sound of sirens blaring below them. When the boys looked down they saw Catwoman pounce pass them, quickly followed by Robin and Batgirl. Tim sighed as he stood up until his toes peaked just over the edge of the building. “Well, I guess I gotta go.”

“I think your mum can handle herself.”

“Oh, definitely. But she wants the Batman to chase her, not his kids.”

“Til the next time then?” Jason asked, trying not to let on how hopeful he was.

“Until the next time.” Tim mocked saluted before he lept off the building and shot a grapple so he catch up and swing pass the bat-kids. Jason watched with a faint smile, wondering when the next would be.

* * *

Jason laughed as he vaulted over a security guard, and sent the man hurdling forward with a solid kick to the shoulders. He adjusted the encased amulet nestled under his arm before he started running through the warehouse again. The warehouse was owned by the Gotham Royal Museum, where they kept items in storage until they were ready for display, Ivy had reasons to believe the amulet had magical properties.

The grunt of the security guard caused Jason to looked back with snigger, until he collided into an also moving force. The collision forced him to stumble forward, and the unidentified force to fall backwards, smacking into the floor. Jason caught himself before he hit the ground, the amulet escaped his grip and hit the groaning person below him in the stomach.

“What the fuck?” Jason blinked in shock then gawked down at the pair of goggles below him. “Kitty?” Neither of them made an attempt to move, instead they stared at each other, panting until their breathes began to mix.

“Powers?” Stray asked, with a slight smirk. Despite not being able to see his eyes, Jason could feel Stray’s gaze raking down his body, searching for signs of change.

“Nah.” Stray huffed.

“Lame.” They both laughed, and laughed, probably a bit too long for two people both robbing a storage warehouse for different reasons. When their laughter died down they slowly came to the realisation that Jason was essentially planking over Tim. “What are you doing here?” Jason appreciated the attempt to change subjects, he nodded to the case sitting between them.

“Magical amulet. You?” Tim held up a piece of jewelry in his gloved hand, it was covered in centuries of uneven rock formation.

“Illegal stolen artifact.”

“Hey!” They both looked up to see a group of guards running towards them.

“We should go.” Tim suggested.

“Yeah.” Jason jumped to his feet, as he did so he pulled the amulet and Tim up with him. “C’mon!” He latched onto Tim’s hand and pulled him through the warehouse. As they ran Tim pulled out what looked like a small gun, but when he shot it, a rope went flying, it connected to two opposite walls, so sudden that the guards didn’t get a chance to stop before they were clotheslined. Jason tugged Tim out of the building while they laughed again.

“Holy shit, is that yours?”

“Oh yeah, isn’t she sexy?” Jason mounted the sleek black motorbike after he pocketed the amulet into a side pouch on the bike. “Wanna get on?” Tim was drooling over the bike, just the bike, only the bike, nothing more, definitely not Ivy’s son, with lycra hugging his thighs tightly.  _ Mm, those thigh _ . Oh, right, bike, crime. Tim tucked the artifact into the pouch, then swung himself onto the bike, if only a little awkwardly. “You might wanna hold on.” Jason smirked.

“I think I’ll be fi- AH!” Tim’s arms snapped around Jason’s waist when the bike shot forward, he hid his face from the harsh wind by tucking it into Jason’s jacket. He smelt like earth and cigarettes and rain, Tim breathed in more deeply than necessary. The bike sped through the city for nearly ten minute before Jason finally slowly down a bit, giving Tim the chance to look up without being cut by the cold Gotham air. “Wait, go in there!”

“Seriously, it’s almost four in the morning?” Despite his tone, Jason turned the bike towards the McDonald’s Tim had pointed at.

“I’m so freaking hungry.” Tim replied as they pulled up to the speaker.

“Uh…” Jason smiled at the camera in the drive-thru when they heard the hesitant voice. “Can I… take your order?”

“Yeah, can I get a six nugget meal with and frozen vanilla coke?” Tim asked cheerily, then looked to Jason expectantly.

“Can I just get a hashbrown and a mocha?”

“Serious, that’s it?” Jason shrugged, satisfied with his order.

“Okay, drive up please.” They rolled up to the first window, where Tim handed the shocked but tired looking woman a fifty dollar note and said she could keep the change. The woman smiled graciously. Then they moved to the other window, where they were met by a very stunned young man, he stared at them until he whispered a quiet ‘holy shit’. They both grinned at him. As more of the staff heard what was going on they crowded at the window with the phones held close and recording or taking photos.

“Yo, Stray, you're awesome, dude!” One of the staff members shouted in excitement. Tim thanked him, uncomfortable with so much attention. More members chatted excitedly as someone handed them their drinks and food, she smiled at them both.

“Batman’s back in town, try not to get arrested, little dude.”

“He’s too old to catch me.” Tim said it with a wink, and Jason tried not over-analyse the feeling the action caused him. They looked away from the window when the sirens began to grow closer to them. "Have a nice night!" Several hands waved after them as Jason pulled back onto the road. As they drove Tim leaned forward and typed a location into Jason’s gps, they were pressed close against each while he typed.

Eventually Jason slowed again until he came to a stop in front an apartment building. Tim jumped off the bike and retrieved the artifact, he smiled at Jason for a long moment.

"They really like you, don't they?" Jason quirked an eyebrow to match his teasing tone.

"Steal from the rich, give to the poor, I'm like Robin Hood."

"If Robin Hood wore a lot of leather." Tim punched his shoulder jokingly, making Jason chuckle.

"They'd probably like you too if you actually stuck around." Tim said hopefully, he liked Ivy's kid, he was funny, and could keep up with Tim. Robin would probably like him as well, given the chance. 

"Heh, I don't like staying still, gives people the chance to catch up with you." Jason didn't want to some how fall back into constantly watching him back, and in Gotham you need eyes in the back of your head, not to mention Batman constantly reigning over _his_ city, ruining everyone's fun. Tim rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to distract himself from thinking too hard about the comment. 

“Um, thanks, you know, for the lift.” 

“Yeah, not a problem.” The silence that followed gave them the cue that their night was coming to a close.

“'Til next time?”

“Yeah, ‘til next time.” Jason took the opportunity to salute this time, before he revved the engine and disappeared into the night. Tim watched him leave with deep sigh. Selena watched them both from the apartment window, a knowing smile growing on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love y'all.  
> Also there will be more Tim to come.


	5. The Birth of Hemlock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason finally decides what he wants in life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood, Bleeding.

Jason had this, he had this. _Fuck._

Jason stumbled back as blood quickly started to soak into his shirt. He gasped when his heel caught on something and he fell backwards, causing him to groan and struggle to stay awake. He pressed his hands against the two bullet wounds in his abdomen, but he couldn’t stop the blood, it seeped through his fingers and spread even further across his shirt.

“No!” Ivy’s voice fizzed in his ears but he couldn’t place where she was. The edges of his vision blurred. The sound of the goons being thrown out of the building didn’t make it to Jason's ears, but he did catch a glimpse of one of them smashing through the glass of a window. “Jason? Jason, can you hear me?” Ivy’s hand caught his cheek gently, she leaned over him with her other hand pressed over his to add more pressure to the wounds. Maybe it was too many blows to the head or the explosion earlier, but Ivy’s touch was almost nonexistent to him. “Jason!” He blinked his eyes open quickly, not having realised that he’d closed them, and stared up at Ivy. She was blurry but he easily recognised her green eyes.

“I’m… fine.” He wheezed. “I’m- ack!” Jason coughed and groaned, tensing when he felt blood spill from his mouth and drip down his cheek. The red stained across Ivy’s hand.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re fine. I’ve got you.” As carefully as she could, Ivy scooped Jason into her arms. Jason groaned again from the movement. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Jason. This was too dangerous, this is my fault.”

“I… I wanted to, this isn’t your fault.” He breathed deeply, desperate to stay awake. He watched Ivy as she carried him, his vision now black around the edges. She was so amazing, he didn’t deserve her. Her hair bounced against her shoulders as she moved and her eyes stared ahead of them with a soldier’s determination. Jason smiled weakly.

“Jason, stay awake, you have to stay awake.” His eyes slowly slipped closed. “Jason!”

“Thanks… Mum…” Jason drifted into unconsciousness before he could hear Ivy’s response. He missed her choked sob.

It was fun while it lasted.

* * *

The first thing Jason registered was the dull pain in his abdomen, but he pushed it to the back of his mind while he opened his eyes. He couldn’t remember what had happened, or how long he’d been out but when he looked around he noticed he was in the cabin. His attention was suddenly brought to his hand on the side of the bed, where Ivy was slumped in a chair beside him with her hand around his as if letting go of him would cause Jason to disappear from existence completely. Ivy was sunk deep in her chair, passed out from exhaustion. Jason's gaze zoned in on the dried blood covering parts of the chair and his sheets.

“Ives.” His voice came out dry and raspy. Shit, how long was he out? “Ivy.” He squeezed her hand gently, causing her eyes to flutter open. Ivy blinked a couple more times, she looked beyond tired, like she’d been trying to stay awake for hours, before she looked at Jason when she realised he’d woken her. “Hey.”

“Oh, thank god.’ Ivy moved from her chair to be closer to Jason’s side, not letting go of his hand. “How do you feel? Are you in pain?” Her free hand ghosted over his body, she didn’t actually touch him, too afraid to hurt him. Jason caught her hand in his.

“I’m fine, my hip hurts a bit, what happened?”

“You don’t remember?”

“No, we went on a mission but it’s… Fuzzy.”

“You were shot.” Jason mumbled a quiet ‘oh’. “Three times… In the hip… Jason, I thought you were… I was so…” A pained looked crossed Ivy’s expressions, unable to put everything into words.

“Ivy, I’m fine, really, look.” He gestured to himself. “I’m here, in mostly one piece, I’ll heal.” Ivy leaned forward gently and hugged Jason. “And now I’m going to have cool scares.” This earned him a light slap across the head.

* * *

A week later and Ivy was still acting tense around him; always making sure she wasn’t in his way and wasn’t touching him, afraid to hurt him further.

“ _Ives,_ ” She looked up from the papers she’d been reading over in the kitchen, surprised by the gentle tone that Jason was using. He was sat opposite her on a stool with a hot chocolate in front of him. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Jason, pleas-”

“No.” Jason cut her off harshly. “It wasn’t your fault!” His voice turned stern. “You can’t keep putting distance between me just because you feel bad for something that wasn’t your fault. I chose to be with you, I chose to not wear a vest, and I chose to do what I did.”

“You shouldn’t have jumped in front of me!” Ivy slammed her hands on the table. “You shouldn’t have risked your life like that!”

“I-”

“I’m not done!” Jason’s mouth snapped shut. “You’re a kid, Jason, like it or not. If I’d gotta hurt I would have healed fasted, I wouldn’t have been out for three days! You could've died, Jason, you very nearly did!” Ivy let out a deep, ragged breath, her previously tense shoulders sank as she calmed down. “I could’ve lost you, and for a moment I thought…” Jason’s widened when he realised Ivy was holding back tears, he could see them brimming in her eyes and threatening to spill. “I could never handle losing you, Jason.” The sincerity in her voice made Jason’s blood run cold, his mouth opened and closed like a fish in drought. They didn’t talk like this, they joked and were sarcastic, Ivy never looked at him with the amount of vulnerability that she was now.

“I-” Before Jason knew what was happening, he had stood up, knocking over the stool as he went, and taken a few steps back. “I… I’m sorry.” He tried to stop his feet but they were moving without permission, he rushed to the door and grabbed for his bag as his pace increased.

“Jason?” Ivy’s confused and worried tone only made him more frantic to escape. “Jason!” Ivy tried to chase after.

“I’m sorry, I just… I just need a moment. I just… I’ll be back.” And with Jason was out the door and disappeared before Ivy could figure out what to say that would stop him from leaving.

* * *

Jason panted. Was he panting? He was breathing but he felt like he was suffocating. Hyperventilating? That’s it. Jason was panicking, he had found a nook high in a tree in the forest and curled in on himself.

Jason didn’t understand why he was panic so much, Ivy cared about him and he cared about her, of course they did, they’d been living together and sharing their lives for a few years now. They’d be sociopaths if they didn’t care about each other, but the look in Ivy’s eyes, so honest, so heart-wrenching, had made his chest feel too tight.

Slowly, Jason focused on his breathing, calming himself until he didn’t feel like he was about to pass out. He unwrapped one of his arms from around his waist and stared at his shaking hand, it shook just as bad as when he was cradled in Ivy’s arms. Bleeding out. Dying. Jason sucked in a breath harshly through his teeth. They hadn’t talked about it, not really, Jason could tell Ivy didn’t want to think about it either, but he also knew she was probably thinking about it constantly. One of the few acknowledgements towards the incident was when he found Ivy as she finished off burning the blood-stained bedding Jason had woken up on.

He pretended he was fine, because he knew if Ivy thought for a moment that he was anything else she’d blame herself more than she already did. He wasn’t fine though, he was scared, every moment he closed his eyes he remembered the overwhelming darkness that had surrounded him and how alone he’d felt in it, it felt too much like the first few weeks after his mum had died, when he’d had no idea what to do.

Alone begging for money, alone with his mom in his arms, alone on the streets. Alone. But he wasn’t alone when he thought he was going to die, he was in Ivy’s arms, she was holding him close, keeping him warm, and he wasn’t alone when he woke up, she was there, always there, always checking on him, feeding him, loving him.

But he was alone now, because he’d run away from the only person in his life that had ever cared, that had given him a chance to be better than the Gotham street rat he had been destined to be forever. Jason let out a shaky breath as he felt tears roll down his cheeks.

He needed to go home, he needed to go back to Ivy, he needed to face the conversation that was waiting for him, and he needed Ivy to accept what needed to be done.

* * *

Jason was engulfed in a hug before he even registered Ivy rushing towards him, he was lifted to his toes as she held him tightly against her body. Once the surprise wore off Jason wrapped his arms around Ivy’s waist and pressed his face into the curve of her neck.

“I’m sorry,” He whispered against her skin, his voice slightly muffled. “I just freaked out. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Ivy’s threaded her fingers into his hair to soothe him, he allowed his shoulders to relax as her warmth spread to him. They stayed in silence, just feeling each other’s heartbeats and being in the moment. Eventually, Jason pulled away slightly but didn’t retract his arms, he felt Ivy hesitate before she loosened her grip and looked into his eyes. She looked tired.

“We need to talk.” Ivy agreed and pulled him to the couch. He ignored the almost empty glass of whiskey on the coffee table and tried not to wonder how many times it had been refilled. Jason took a deep breath before he spoke. “I… I was scared when I passed out, I thought I wasn’t going to wake up, and I’m scared that I accepted it.” Ivy held his hand tightly in hers. “But the scariest part of it was that I was going to lose you. Ivy, I didn’t have anyone after my mom, I barely had her when she was alive, but then you came along and you made everything so much better.” Jason looked at their linked hands. “I don’t know how to talk about stuff like this, but I know that something needs to change. I can’t keep up with you, Ives, and you’re old.”

“I’m in my twenties.” Ivy deadpanned, but her lips pulled into a faint smile. “But you’re right about needing change and I assume I know what you’re implying.”

“I know it makes you uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay.” Ivy gave a quick sigh then stood from the crouch and pulled Jason with her. “Come with me.” Jason followed her through the house and into her lab. He rarely came in here, usually, it’d only be to get Ivy for lunch or to get stuff for missions, he knew Ivy liked to work in her lab in silence. Ivy manoeuvred Jason so that he was sat on a stool before she revealed a vile of bright green liquid. “As far as I’m aware, it’s irreversible, so if you do this, you’ll be like this forever. No going back.” Jason nodded, eyes fixed on the vile. “Jason.” Ivy’s voice turned firm. Jason's eyes snapped to hers to show that he was listening.

“I know, Ivy, it’s okay.”

“You’re sure?”

“A hundred percent, I swear.” With a curt nod, Ivy handed the vile to Jason. It was cold and almost so bright that it looked like it was glowing against his tanned skin. “Y’know, I’m probably too okay with drinking the unknown liquids you give me.” They shared a short laugh. “Thank you, Ives.” He squeezed her hand then emptied the vile. It burnt all the way down his throat, causing him to cough a bit, a prickling sensation ran all over his body as his arms broke out in goosebumps, dizziness was suddenly overwhelming in his head as his vision tipped and swayed. He felt Ivy’s hands catch him when he started to learn too far to the side.

“Don’t worry, I know how you feel, just remember to keep breathing.” Jason nodded sluggishly while Ivy wrapped an arm around his waist and guided him back to the couch.

“My tongue feels so weird.” Jason opened his mouth a couple of times like his tongue was completely new to him, Ivy held back the urge to laugh.

“Your transition will be a lot slower than mine was.”

Jason tried to focus on staying awake, all the weird sensations were making him feel unbearably drowsy, his whole body felt swollen and warm, or like he’d woken up four minutes before his alarm.

“Can I sleep?”

“Yeah, it might help with the transition.” Within second of Ivy’s confirmation, Jason was fast asleep. Ivy laid him down on the couch and monitored him as she moved around the house. Within an hour Jason’s skin had gained a greener tone, making it appear slightly darker; within three hours Ivy noticed additions of tiny leaves in Jason also darker hair, she moved his almost black hair around gently to examine the growths; after five hours Ivy predicted his eyesight and healing would have improved, and speed and agility would also have developed.

Confident in her chemistry and Jason’s quick ability to adapt, Ivy drank a cup of tea calmly as she waited for Jason to wake up.

* * *

(One month later)

Jason felt the wind through his hair as he soared through the trees, he felt the forest guiding him back home despite him having learnt the way years ago, and he felt the way his body moved, confident and assured, without a hint of insecurity.

At the beginning he had struggled with his new speed and flexibility, he even overshot himself on the first test run and ran right into a tree, much to Ivy’s amusement, but after the first three days he had almost perfected his new powers. Ivy even agreed to finally let him back on the field.

Without Ivy it probably would have taken him months to figure everything out, but because he did have her he felt carefree. Ivy guided him through getting used to his physical changes, and once he’d gotten the hang of it they moved to the new abilities and powers that her serum had given him, she showed him how to give life back to plants, how to draw strength from their presence, how to listen to them and let them guide him.

Jason now spent almost all of his free time outside, sometimes the way he was now, full of energy and constantly moving, other times he’d find a peaceful, sunny spot and just let the plants surround him, feeling as vines wrapped snugly around his arms and legs.

Then there was figuring out a vigilante name.

* * *

“Poison Oak?” Ivy suggested as she handed Jason the milk for his cereal. He’d woken up twenty minutes ago feeling like he hadn’t eaten in days, but first, he had had to examine his new appearance before he even thought about his hunger. Jason hummed in disagreement as he skimmed through the list he’d found on the internet.

“Arsenic?”

“Arse.” Ivy replied, pouring some milk into her coffee. “Deadly nightshade?”

“Too emo.” Jason munched on his cereal while he tried to think of more names, meanwhile, Ivy had placed her cup back down to concentrate on her own list that she was mentally running through.

“Conium maculatum.”

“Huh?”

“Hemlock.”

“... I like it.” They both smiled at each other.

Ivy prayed she hadn’t made the wrong decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and happy holidays y'all! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you liked it or not :) I really appreciate constructive criticism!


End file.
